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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. court — for sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. stock — goods
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stock — shares
  14. rule — a law
  15. court — of a king
  16. rule — government
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. court — of law
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com